Holding the Line
by MODdenial
Summary: After Piccolo dies protecting Gohan, an enraged Gohan transforms into Super Saiyan 2 and decides to fight Frieza. Will the out-of-practice Demi-Saiyan manage to topple the tyrant and his newfound power, or will Frieza send Gohan off to join Piccolo? (Based on the pivot animation made on YouTube of Gohan fighting Frieza.)


Holding the Line

 **Quick Note: This story takes place during the Frieza's Resurrection saga of Dragon Ball Super. This will feature Ginyu in Tagoma's body, so we'll just call him Ginyu-Tagoma.**

 **DISCLAIMER:** **The following is a-you know what, forget it. You all should know who this anime belongs to.**

* * *

Things had grown so woeful for the Intergalactic Frieza Force that two of Frieza's minions, Tagoma and Commander Zorbet had gone to Earth to gather in Dragon Balls to revive their fallen overlord. It worked and Frieza, back within his mortal coil, immediately made plans for revenge on the Super Saiyans who defeated him.

The first to perish would be the detestable Son Goku, the monkey who defeated him back on Planet Namek, and then that other Super Saiyan with colorful hair.

Though, at the power level Frieza held upon revival, even the tyrant knew that Goku would make quick work of him, especially in his first form. Frieza would not take his revenge with a half-prepared plan. No, he would take precautions, he would examine every possibility, every occurrence and prepare countermeasures and the ultimate countermeasure to take against a Saiyan who has grown unbelievably strong?

Growing strong enough to ensure that said Saiyan dies a slow, agonizing death!

However, Frieza couldn't plan for everything, certainly not for the captain of the former Ginyu Force, Ginyu, switching bodies with Tagoma, who had proven more than his initial cowardice suggested. He also didn't expect the eldest son of his enemy to transform as well. Of course, after transforming, the renowned captain stood no chance against Gohan, but the eldest demisaiyan on Earth refused to finish Ginyu-Tagoma off. Frieza should've expected mercy out of the hybrid, but didn't.

Frieza has come to see mercy as a worse fate than death, as mercy meant the enemy had your life in their hands and could've ended it at any time but refused to out of pity. Frieza couldn't stand mercy, which explained why Frieza put Goku at the top of his list over the Super Saiyan that killed him.

Which brings us to now.

* * *

Son Gohan, age 22, had long since given up fighting, opting for the life of a scholar because it fit him better. Not only that, but he basically had everything a man his age could dream of: a beautiful, loving wife, an adorable child and a secure financial future for his family. Combined with the fact that the world had only known peace for the past 3 years, Gohan didn't see much of a reason to train to fight.

Of course, if he knew of Frieza's revival and months of training for revenge, he would've found a way to balance his training with his studies and job hunting. Not that he needed to do any job hunting, but that doesn't matter right now.

"I can't help but wonder what kind of face Goku will make when he finds your unmoving corpse with all telltale signs of torture. The anguish he'll feel when he comes too late to save his son…I feel excited just imagining it!"

Krillin and Piccolo both moved to help Gohan but Ginyu-Tagoma jumped in front of them with his arms spread wide.

"You shall not interrupt Lord Frieza!" He spoke.

Frieza then sent a beam right through Gohan's left knee, causing him to shift his weight to his right leg, eliciting a few gasps of pain from the half-saiyan.

Gohan took only two more steps backward before a beam went straight through his solar plexus, causing him to roar in pain. Gohan leaned forward clutching the area where Frieza's most recent beam had penetrated him.

Frieza sent another beam, this time's through Gohan's right thigh, causing him to release another painful cry.

Another beam. Gohan's right knee. The half saiyan fell to a knee, sending shame throughout his form.

Frieza then sent a beam through Gohan's shoulder, prolonging the opus of discord from the hybrid. Gohan fell forward to his hands and knees.

The next beam put Gohan face down into the unforgiving earth.

One more beam. Another scream. The pain proved too much for the young hero to retain his super saiyan transformation. He couldn't run, he couldn't stand, he couldn't even move.

Gohan closed his eyes and ground his teeth. He couldn't even look Frieza in the eye. Back on Namek, he could only watch as Frieza delivered such pain onto Vegeta, not that his actions proved he didn't deserve some of what happened, but now, Gohan began to have a clear understanding of the helplessness Vegeta felt, the anger at himself for not having enough strength to protect anyone, let alone himself.

Frieza's voice grew more venomous as he accumulated a pinball-sized mass of energy in his finger.

"This is what you deserve, son of Goku!"

Gohan heard the humming of energy coming from Frieza's finger. He ground his teeth and buried his face in the rocks.

"DIE!"

Frieza released a Death Beam towards Gohan's head.

"GOHAN!" Krillin yelled in desperation.

"BIG BROTHER!" Son Goten wailed in despair.

Gohan opened his eye as his death drew ever closer.

" _Pan…Videl…Goten…Mom…Dad…I failed everyone…again…"_

The beam would never contact Gohan. A cloaked figure ran in front of him and took the brunt of the blow. The beam ceased its journey, the heat resting inside the chest of the young man's surrogate father. As the figure breathed his last and fell backward, Gohan's eyes widened once he realized what had just happened.

The ultimate Namekian just given his life to save him once again.

"Piccolo…"

Bulma, holding a parfait in her hand, could not sense energy due to her status as a normal Earthling. So she didn't understand why Piccolo decided to lie down after taking Frieza's attack.

"Hey, Piccolo! Quit joking around! Get up already!"

"Mom…" Trunks Briefs, her son, started sadly. "His energy signal's gone. I can't feel his spirit anymore."

Goten looked at the ground, ready to cry again. His big green uncle just saved his big brother, but at what cost?

Gohan crawled over to Piccolo's body and put his hand on the hole in his chest before gripping the burned fabric.

"Piccolo…!"

Suddenly, Gohan found himself in a wasteland staring at a younger looking Piccolo who had taken the brunt of Nappa's Bomber DX attack. Gohan couldn't do anything but watch then, and just now, he could only watch. All these years have passed, he's fought so many people, seen many things, and even went to space! All these years, and he could fare no better than the 5-year-old who couldn't even dodge.

Gohan, with tears in eyes, threw his head back and roared in anguish.

"PICCOLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Frieza, relishing in Gohan's torment, chuckled and applauded.

"Oh, you're a walking symphony. First, the cries of torture and now, the cries of anguish; you just can't seem to stop making such beautiful music. Your talent has made me thirsty for more!"

"I let this happen because I stopped training. It's my fault that Piccolo's dead." Gohan cried.

"Gohan!" Krillin attempted to get to Gohan, but Ginyu-Tagoma wouldn't let him.

"Nope!" Ginyu-Tagoma said.

"I knew this would happen. Frieza and his army are way too powerful; you'd have to be idiots to oppose them." Jaco sighed. "Perhaps I can get someone to remove Earth from my jurisdiction."

"You're a gutless coward!" Bulma yelled.

"You want a piece of me, woman?!" Jaco countered, waving his hands in chopping motions.

Bulma just turned back to the sky.

"Vegeta, Goku, what's taking you two so long; we need you!"

"Come on, Dad!" Goten said.

"Papa…" Trunks sighed in worry.

Suddenly, a melodic voice came from the sky, as if to answer a prayer.

" _Hello there! Lady Bulma, that treat you're holding, is it some sort of sweet?"_

Bulma gasped. "Whis, is that you?" She asked in hope, before her irritation returned. "Well, it's about time! What took you so long to reply?!"

Frieza, Ginyu and Zorbet looked at Bulma as if she had lost it.

"Hmm?"

"Whom could she be talking to, milord?"

"Forget it, just listen. Find Vegeta and Goku right now, it's an emergency! That bottom feeder, Frieza, has come back to life and he brought an army with him!"

"Bottom feeder?!"

"Is this some sort of stunt? Just say the word, sir, and she's dead!"

"No, Zorbet, this is no stunt. I'd say she's talking to her savior. He's coming." Frieza grinned in anticipation.

" _Frieza's back? You mean_ that _Frieza?"_

" _How the hell is he alive?"_

"It gets even worse! He's worlds stronger than before, and he's already killed Piccolo who took one for Gohan!"

" _Piccolo's dead!? Whis, how quickly can we get to Earth?"_

" _I suppose if we leave right now, it will take us 35 minutes."_

" _Are you kidding me?!"_

" _It'll take too long!"_

" _Then sense out their Ki and get there using Instant Transmission."_

"What…35 minutes?! We really have to wait that long?!"

At this point, Ginyu-Tagoma decided to retreat to Frieza's side.

"It would seem that we'll have to wait for Goku a while longer."

"In that case, let me have the honor of murdering his friends!" Ginyu-Tagoma offered while striking a pose.

"No, captain, I won't."

"Sir?"

"You see, I've dreamed of years in Earth's Hell of having my revenge of Goku for the humiliation I suffered! After being revived, I trained for months with the soldier whose body you now own, Ginyu, and my power now makes my power back on Namek seem like that of a child. I plan on using that power to paint these rocks with the blood of Goku's friends!"

"NO, YOU WON'T!"

All eyes, including Frieza's, turned to Gohan. He slowly got to his feet.

"It's true…I'm not a fighter like my Dad…I even lost my fighting _gi_ …I don't even know if I'm strong enough to beat you, Frieza…!"

"Hey now, hey now…your body's full of holes, what are you planning on doing?" Ginyu asked mockingly.

"If I kept training…like my Dad and Vegeta…Piccolo would still be with us…he wouldn't have had to die!" Gohan lamented, while trying to right himself.

"How pathetic. It's bad enough that you're weak, but you complain about it now, too?" Zorbet scoffed.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Gohan! You gave up fighting to be there for your family! No one can fault you for that!" Krillin spoke, but Gohan didn't listen to Krillin. He just kept his fists clenched and gnashed his teeth.

"My dear boy, don't you worry. You won't have to fear for your family, not for long. I'll strip them from their mortal coil in an instant!" Frieza grinned wickedly. With that, Frieza leapt down from his vehicle and walked towards Gohan.

"It doesn't matter what I think I can do, or if it's possible, but to protect my family, to protect the ones I love…I have to stop you, right here, right now, with everything I've got…EVEN IF IT KILLS ME!"

Without any further ado, Gohan gathered his Ki and slowly let the dark clouds of rage storm his mind once more. He brought his most hated memories to the forefront of his mind. His super saiyan form flickered to life, but only for an instant. Gohan stumbled backwards, lost in his rage, and tried to reach his Super Saiyan 2 form again and again. His transformation, like an old car, started and stopped, started and stopped, started and stopped again. Frieza grew ever closer and he had raised his own ki. To Krillin, it dwarfed the Ki he felt back on Namek by several margins.

With a loud, mighty roar, Gohan finally stabilized his transformation. Electricity danced around his body and the golden hair brought on by the original transformation became longer and rigid and stood up more. Gohan's muscles bulged slightly. Frieza stopped walking to marvel the sight. Gohan walked up to Frieza before Z-Vanishing in front of him. Frieza released his Ki as well and both auras danced against each other.

"No way…Gohan's actually going to fight Frieza!" Tien exclaimed.

"Guys, this is bad! I know Gohan has potential just waiting to be unlocked, but this is Frieza we're talking about!" Krillin said.

"Boys…look at Gohan."

Tien and Krillin both stared at Gohan.

"At this point, he's letting it all hang out. The least we could do is stay out of the way. Who knows, perhaps Gohan will have enough power to defeat Frieza." Master Roshi said.

"Big brother…" Goten uttered in worry and awe.

"Hey…Goten...we can't just let Gohan fight on his own, can we?" Trunks spoke.

"Gohan…" Bulma uttered in worry.

"I swear you'll pay for that, you monster." Gohan growled.

"Oh, don't lie, boy scout. I don't need a scouter to tell me how weak you are." Frieza laughed. "Your death wish is even more earnest than Vegeta's. But that's to be expected from a monkey and its descendants."

Gohan buried his fist inside Frieza's solar plexus, cutting off his words. Frieza gasped in more surprise than pain, but he definitely felt that one.

"That one's for Piccolo."

Gohan then drove a right across Frieza's face, before a foot to the gut sent the tyrant flying! Gohan followed in quick pursuit as Frieza flipped backwards to right himself.

"Impudent little simian!" Frieza snarled. He looked up to see Gohan approaching from overhead, but the hybrid then reappeared behind Frieza. He drove a foot into Frieza's back, sending him stumbling forward, before Gohan descended with a kick that nearly concussed Frieza and a point blank ki blast that sent Frieza flying into a cliffside.

"All right, Gohan!" Trunks cheered.

"Way to go, big bro!" Goten shouted.

Gohan sprinted towards the area where Frieza hit, intending on finishing him quickly. He saw a purple glow before putting his arms up just in time to block a hit from Frieza's powerful second form. While the hit didn't hurt, it did send Gohan flying, which gave Frieza enough time to launch a large ki blast in his direction.

"Frieza just changed shape! You mean he's like that green creep that Vegeta killed in front of us?" Bulma asked.

"Yeah, Frieza has 4 different forms; his base form, which you've seen. This is his second form…I've got bad memories from this form…" Krillin shuddered as he remembered how close he came to death that time.

"If it wasn't for Dende, I don't think any of us would be here right now. Anyway, he has a third form and it's uglier than that Zarbon guy was. Piccolo nearly bought the farm after he went into his third form. Back then, Gohan had Frieza dead to rights, but he repelled Gohan's Full Power Masenko blast before his strength gave out. Then there's his final form…I'll leave that to your imagination." Krillin finished.

"That's not all, though, is it Krillin?" Tien asked. "I felt his power go right through the roof after he went into this second form of his."

"That's right…whenever Frieza transforms his power grows exponentially, which means…" Krillin left that statement alone, implying something unfavorable.

Gohan flipped backwards to right himself before transferring ki into his hands and creating a blade, using the ki blade to split Frieza's ki blast in two. Gohan then ended up locked in a flurry of blows with the tyrant in his second form. The exchange increased in intensity as the gravel began to rise from the earth. Concussive blows echoed across the archipelago as they continued their fight.

"I'll admit, Gohan, you're much stronger than I gave you credit for. It's a shame you're as soft hearted as your father, otherwise you would've made an excellent soldier!"

"Sorry, Frieza, but I don't think I would've lasted a day under your rule!" Gohan snarled.

The exchange ended with fists buried in each other's faces, sending them both flying backwards.

"Hey, Master Roshi, Gohan's doing okay, but can he keep this up?"

"Only time will tell, but if I'm being honest…I can sense Frieza's potential from here…his power's like an abyss, but Gohan's potential has yet to be tapped as well. The main difference is how much power is available at disposal."

Gohan flipped backwards and buried his fist in the earth to prevent himself from skidding. However, Frieza couldn't stop himself and went through several rock formations before landing in a fissure.

Gohan took a deep breath, in and out. He knew that Frieza wouldn't stay out for long, otherwise, Bulma wouldn't have needed to bribe Whis and Beerus with that parfait.

A loud frustrated scream rang out as a purple hue began to fill the archipelago. Suddenly, a dark purple aura raced towards Gohan. Frieza's face turned into a deep snarl and he began to launch blast after blast at Gohan. Gohan smirked as he began to dodge them all, knocking them away, leaping over them, sidestepping them, until Gohan stared down an entire volley of those ki blasts. He leapt in and out of the paths of the blasts as they sailed past him. Frieza appeared above Gohan with his hands locked in a sledgehammer, but Gohan retaliated with a swift upper kick that launched Frieza into the air. Frieza flew into the air before recovering and snarled down at Gohan, who still had that smirk.

"What's wrong, Frieza?! Biting off more than you can chew?!"

Frieza righted himself and snarled at Gohan's arrogance. Did this hybrid really take that short-lived offensive assault as a sign of inferiority to him?! Originally, he planned on just toying with the young man after he couldn't move anymore, but that last remark made it clear of Gohan's desire to feel pain.

Meanwhile, everyone watching, Bulma included, put on their best fish impressions, as they stood there gobsmacked at Gohan's arrogance.

"Did you…just hear what he said?" Goten asked Trunks.

"I sure wish I hadn't." Trunks replied. "This is just like Buu, only worse!"

"Honestly, you Saiyans are too much! One small little power boost and you act like kings of the universe!" Jaco groaned.

"Gohan's making the same mistake he made against Cell, he's letting his power go to his head!" Tien chided.

"That's enough!"

Gohan looked towards the sound of the flamboyant voice coming from beside Frieza's vehicle.

"Forgive me, Lord Frieza, but I refuse to stand idly by and let this abominable saiyan besmirch your name!"

With that, Ginyu-Tagoma flew down and stood across Gohan.

"Now then, Saiyan, prepare to feel the wrath…of the illustrious…Captain…GINYU!" The flamboyant captain finished, striking a similar pose to one of Gohan's when he got into his Saiyaman character.

Gohan charged at Ginyu-Tagoma, proceeded to elbow him in the chin, and punch him in the stomach. Ginyu-Tagoma's eyes bulged at the impact and he stumbled backwards, blood and saliva dripping from his mouth.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt your posing, but you're more open than the books in my study!"

"You cretin! I'll make you pay-"

Gohan then hook kicked him before launching him into the air. Then, he flew up into the air and drove his fist into Ginyu-Tagoma's face, landed another punch to the gut, and a roundhouse kick to the jaw, knocking them further up into the air.

"I can't see them anymore, can you?" Trunks asked.

"No, not really." Goten replied.

Next, Gohan flew up and appeared just above Ginyu-Tagoma to backhand punch him back down towards the Earth, forcing Ginyu-Tagoma to land on his hands and knees to recover from the bone-crushing blows. Dazed and confused, Ginyu-Tagoma rapidly shook his head to clear the cobwebs.

" _How can this be? This nimble, iron-like body…why can't it withstand these attacks?! I'm Captain Ginyu, my power should be second to none but Lord Frieza and him alone! He said it himself, he stopped training ages ago, so why…why is his power so great!"_

Gohan cupped his hands at his sides and began to charged blue energy into his palms.

"If you're wondering why that body you're inside isn't coping as well with you as you thought, it's because of the same problem you had when you snatched my Dad's body, Ginyu! You can switch with all the bodies in the universe, but there's a bond between a body and its original soul that you can never have with anyone else's body but your own!"

With that, Gohan vanished from midair and reappeared right infront of Ginyu-Tagoma.

"You're through!"

With a mighty roar, Gohan released a Kamehameha, greater in size and the strength than the Super Kamehameha. He released the same Kamehameha he used to overpower Cell's Earth-Destroying Kamehameha.

He released the Ultimate Kamehameha and with the strength of 124 octillion joules, Ginyu-Tagoma's body grew as hot as the core of the sun.

" _After all these years, I was finally able to return to Lord Frieza's side…only to die…at the hands…OF A SAIYAN!"_

The molecules in Ginyu-Tagoma's body slowly fell apart and the captain began the journey to Hell to reunite with his beloved team members. Of course, it didn't help Frieza that the Ultimate Kamehameha flew into his army, reducing most of them to atoms as well. All of them shouted for their overlord's help as they felt their bodies evaporate. Zorbet, shocked at the sight of the demisaiyan's power, flew back to the ship.

"Wow…" Krillin gaped.

"Gohan just killed so many of them in one go." Tien sighed.

"That Kamehameha…it completely eclipsed my Max Power Kamehameha!" Master Roshi surmised.

"Goten…"

"Yeah, Trunks?"

"Everything I ever said about Gohan not being cool…I'd like to take it all back right now."

"Okay."

"You got this, Gohan! Keep it up and send that scumbag back where he came from!" Bulma cheered.

"Maybe I can get this 'Gohan' guy to join the Galactic Patrol after all this is over. After all, having the guy who beat the Evil Emperor and wiped out his army would send registration through the roof!" Jaco pondered.

"No way, Jaco! You're not using Gohan as an advertisement!"

"Hey, I said maybe!"

Gohan sighed, contrite at the many lives that had been lost from his Ultimate Kamehameha wave. He looked back in the sky to find Frieza clenching his fists and snarling back at him. He ascended into the sky and stared down the angry tyrant.

"Now that Captain Colorful's out of the picture, let's get back to business, shall we?"

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I see. You're just as odious as your full-blooded monkey father."

"Odious is a matter of perspective." Gohan smirked. "Come on, Frieza. I don't intend on letting my Dad have all the fun, so hurry up and head into your 3rd form."

"Well, Gohan, if you're that eager to die, why should I defy you? This is only the second time you'll see this form in your increasingly short lifetime!"

With that, Frieza gathered his Ki and with a loud yell, instantly transformed into his 3rd form. This surprised Gohan and Krillin who remember Frieza's transformations taking much longer. If Frieza could transform that easily, then…how much power did he really have?

"Well, you wanted it, and now you have it. My third form. You should remember this form well, seeing as how I riddled that poor Namekian with my power while you and those two other imps did nothing but watch. Maybe I'll show you the same treatment."

"It won't be that easy, Frieza. You know that, don't you?"

Gohan flew at Frieza with an arm reared back and ready to strike, but Frieza vanished. Gohan looked around, up and down, before a voice sent chills down his spine.

"I'm much faster in this form as well."

Frieza then proceeded to attack Gohan with a barrage of violent punches and kicks before placing a hand on Gohan's chest and releasing a Punishing Blaster at point-blank range, sending Gohan and the blast back to the earth. The ensuing explosion caused a new crater in the archipelago as the ground fell apart from the heat of the blast.

"GOHAN!" Bulma cried.

"He's okay, Mom! His Ki just dipped a little!" Trunks reassured her.

Surely enough, Gohan emerged from the crater, still in the golden throes of his Super Saiyan 2 transformation, but the blast had torn the sleeves and legs of his green tracksuit, which already had more holes in it than Swiss cheese. Blood also ran down Gohan's head, arms, and legs Frieza descended to ground level, laughing at Gohan's will to fight.

"You've certainly proven yourself worthy of being called Goku's son, boy! But need I remind you, I still have a form beyond this one."

"Yeah, I know that form, Frieza. You killed Dende, Vegeta, and Krillin in that form. That's why I won't let you access it! I WON'T LET YOU KILL ANYONE ELSE, FRIEZA!"

Gohan then began sprinting towards Frieza once more. When he had closed the distance, Gohan released a Meteor Crash against Frieza, who put his arms up to block Gohan's furious strikes. Eventually, Gohan would lapse in one of his strikes, which left him open to a knee to the jaw. Blood came flying out of his mouth, but Gohan ground his teeth and sent a Ki-enfused foot to Frieza's jaw, making the tyrant cough up his own purple-colored blood. They exchanged solid hits to the face and more blood came from the participants.

"Gohan…He's doing much better than I expected." Tien spoke, impressed with Gohan's power.

"Yeah, but I can't help but think that Frieza's just toying with him. I mean, if he wanted to kill Gohan, he could've just gone into his final form and ended it already." Krillin pointed out.

"Maybe despite Frieza's training, he can't immediately go into his final form. That's why this fight's been dragged out for so long. But if Gohan can manage to kill Frieza while he's in his third form, we just might survive!" Master Roshi spoke, clenching his staff.

"You can do it, Gohan!" Trunks yelled.

"Come on, big brother! Take him down!" Goten shouted.

"You can win, Gohan!" Bulma cheered.

Gohan and Frieza fell into a vanishing exchange where one tried to attack the other from behind and vice versa. Growing irritated at this stalemate, they fought across the archipelago, tearing up the earth, ravishing the waters, even cutting the air as they exchanged blows that never connected. After a few choice blows, they flew up into the sky, turning into yellow and purple streaks that kept colliding with each other again and again. They broke apart, both breathing heavily from the combat.

"You're every bit the monster you were back then, Frieza, the only difference is that your strength dwarfs everything I felt from you on Namek."

Frieza chuckled. "You say that like it isn't obvious."

"I have to admit, Frieza, the fruits of your labor are on full display. I can't believe I'm saying this, but this fight's really gotten me excited. I can't deny it anymore. I may be a human, but I'm a Saiyan as well. However, this time…I'm not ashamed to call myself one. I'm actually proud to be a Saiyan right now."

"Enoguh with the heartfelt speeches, my stomach can only bear so much."

"You're right. Words are cheap."

With that, Gohan powered up and golden flames danced around him as he cupped his hands and filled them with blue energy. Frieza summoned forth a large dark sphere with purple electricity dancing around it.

"HA!" Gohan yelled as he thrust his arms forward, releasing a Kamehameha that moved in the pattern of a helix. Frieza threw his own attack at the beam and used his telekinesis to propel it forward. The two energy attacks seemed hopelessly deadlocked.

"A long time ago, my Dad trusted me with the welfare of this planet…I stopped training because for seven whole years, the world had only known peace! I grew soft…I pummeled Majin Buu, I grew cocky and I let my little brother, my little godbrother, as well as my mentor and second father down! I have a family of my own to protect now, so no matter what Frieza, I CAN'T LOSE TO YOU!"

"Such faith your friends have in you, Gohan! It shall make it even more glorious when you fail!" Frieza shouted.

"Do it, Gohan!" Krillin yelled.

"Come on, Gohan!" Trunks cheered.

"You can do this! You can do this!" Goten yelled.

"You can win, Gohan!" Bulma shouted.

"I…WON'T…LOSE! THIS IS MY FULL POWER, FRIEZA!"

With that, Gohan pumped an enormous amount of Ki into the Kamehameha. The deadlock had turned into a giant mass of red energy and Frieza felt his control over his energy sphere wane.

"What?!"

The tyrant could only watch as the giant red mass absorbed his attack and overwhelmed Frieza. The tyrant let out a loud yell of pained anguish as Gohan's attack, and the red mass of energy, engulfed him.

"NOOOOO! NOT AGAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!"

A giant explosion echoed across the archipelago, sending everyone to cover. When the smoke cleared, a golden glow appeared. That golden glow belonged to one Son Gohan, bleeding, battered, and bruised…but victorious. The energy signature of Frieza had disappeared.

"I…I don't believe it!" Tien uttered, amazed.

"Gohan…he actually did it!" Krillin cheered.

"I guess I underestimated that little bookworm. I can't sense Frieza's ki anymore." Master Roshi spoke, greatly impressed by the strength of his student's son.

"He did it, Trunks! He did it, Aunt Bulma! He did it! He did it! He did it! He did it! He did it!" Goten yelled, jumping up and down.

"Okay, Goten. You win…you've got the coolest big brother in the universe!" Trunks shouted, equally elated.

"You're right, Trunks, and don't you ever forget that!" Goten yelled enthusiastically.

"And he told me he couldn't win; he shouldn't scare me like that!" Bulma sighed in relief.

Meanwhile, the soldiers who had survived Gohan's Ultimate Kamehameha stood in shock, though none more than Zorbet, who couldn't believe his leader had fallen at the hands of a Saiyan, let alone a hybrid!

"Commander Zorbet…w-what do we do?"

"Per you…the Dragon Balls won't be available for another half-year, right?!"

Zorbet clenched his fists. He had no options, the Earth Warriors easily dispatched of his men despite not killing them, and a good amount of his soldiers had died because of that giant blue beam of energy.

"ALL HANDS, RE-"

"FINISH THAT ORDER, ZORBET, AND I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"

Eyes went wide as the sound of such an anger-filled voice brought hope and despair to both factions of battle. The smoke cleared to reveal an angry Frieza, in his final form, though not without some bruises from withstanding the brunt of Gohan's attack. The soldiers felt hope as their emperor somehow survived such an attack, while the warriors of Earth felt despair at the fact that despite Gohan's best efforts, the tyrant remained alive!

"Did you honestly think that a filthy half-blooded primate like Goku's son would be able to kill me, Lord Frieza?!"

"O-o-o-of c-c-course not, sir! I-I-I-"

"Shut your mouth! I trained tirelessly day after day, night after night for months until today, just so I could claim my revenge against Goku and re-establish my claim as ruler of the Universe! How dare you think some dirty half-ling could be my downfall!"

"F-F-Forgive us, Lord Frieza…" Zorbet knelt, weeping in fear for his life. Frieza simply spat in some arbitrary direction, disgusted at the manpower under his employ. He then turned back to Gohan.

"And as for you, son of Goku…I'll commend you for putting up such a riveting fight. I honestly didn't think I've have to use my final form to deal with you. You must've been bluffing about your lapse in training, otherwise it would've been child's play to kill you."

Gohan ground his teeth as he stared down Frieza.

"Unfortunately for you, the power behind your attack is the premier reason why I decided to exterminate saiyankind. I couldn't stand the thought of a Super Saiyan rising from the ranks and destroying me and everything I had created in my lifetime. Just now, I stared death in the face again! I, Frieza, emperor of the Universe nearly lost my life to a filthy hybrid!"

Gohan racked his brain.

" _Dad, Vegeta, where are you? I've held him off for this long, his Ki's gone beyond anything I ever imagined, and you still can't sense us? I put a good amount of power into that last Kamehameha. To be honest, I don't know how much longer this adrenaline is going to keep me up. He's gone into his final form and I could barely touch him then, and to make matters worse…he's beyond furious!"_

"I've allowed the opening act to stray off course for too long. It's time to teach you your place in the pecking order…Saiyan ape!"

Frieza summoned forth his ki and, with a look that promised pain and agony beyond any nightmares Gohan may have had of Hell, vanished from sight.

Gohan couldn't have seen the fist coming into his stomach, but it came and it _hurt._

Spittle flew from Gohan's mouth as he flew at high speeds back to the earth beneath him. Gohan quickly got to his feet and tried to sense Frieza, but everything about Frieza got a boost when he entered his final form; speed, power, control, and above all else…ruthlessness.

A hit to Gohan's spine sent him stumbling forward before he felt something hit his face sharply. Apparently, Frieza wanted to humiliate as well as mutilate Gohan so he used his tail to hit his jaw, skull, and wrap around his neck before hurling him over his head into the ground. Gohan tried to do something, anything, to muster some form of offense, but the combination of his current lack of power as well as Frieza's increased speed did nothing for him. Gohan sent a kick backwards to create space, but Frieza caught it.

"Look what I've got here…" Frieza cooed. "The anatomy of a Saiyan is almost identical to that of a Human, correct? So, if I do this…"

The way Frieza held Gohan's hyperextended leg; the knee faced the ground, so with a malicious grin, Frieza drove his foot into Gohan's knee, shattering the bone with a loud, wet snap.

Goten had never heard his big brother scream so loud in pain before, and never, ever wanted to hear it again as he let out a choked sob, as if he could feel Gohan's pain. Just a moment ago, Gohan had won, but they didn't utilize their ki sensing abilities to see if Frieza's ki had gone completely off the map.

Either that, or Frieza had the ability to raise and lower his ki at will as well.

Trunks ground his teeth and raised his ki. He looked at Goten and they both nodded. They both got in position for take off, but Bulma had grabbed both boys by their collars.

"You can't go out there, you two!"

"But if we don't do something, Frieza's gonna kill him!"

"Tell me, just what do you think you can do?! Gohan is the strongest fighter we have right now, and he's getting beaten like a rug! What can you do, Trunks, or you, Goten, besides get in the way?!"

Trunks and Goten looked stricken at Bulma's harsh words. They clenched their fists, lowered their heads, and ground their teeth.

"Bulma's right, you two." Jaco sighed. "I admit, I underestimated your big brother, but he's nowhere near strong enough to fight the evil emperor at full power."

Deep down, the boys knew Bulma just wanted them to stay safe, but they had Saiyan blood in their veins and they cared deeply for Gohan. How could they just stand there and watch helplessly like the children they didn't want to feel like right then?

Unfortunately, Frieza hadn't finished. After driving another fist into Gohan's gut, Frieza landed a few more physical blows against Gohan, before the demi-saiyan performed a Super Front Jump to get away from the ruthless tyrant. Helplessly gulping for air, Gohan had to jump back when Frieza came in with an overhead kick.

"Come now, Gohan, this isn't as much fun as it used to be. Are you simply being nice and letting me attack you, or it could be that you find yourself so outclassed in every way possible that you can't even defend yourself?"

Gohan stood on his good leg, taking care not to put any weight on a leg that wouldn't support him.

"I take no pleasure in an unfair fight, therefore I'll allow this one concession. One free hit on me anywhere you want; I promise I won't hit back."

" _Damn it…he's just toying with me at this point. Then again, I didn't have enough power to finish him immediately."_

"To show you that this is genuine, I'll close my eyes and clasp my hands behind me."

Frieza did just that. He closed his eyes and put his hands behind him. Gohan roared and leapt off his good leg to hit Frieza, only to hit air. Gohan then lost his air from another heavy hit to the gut.

"I never said I wouldn't move. As for me not hitting you, 1. My hand slipped, I've grown quite clumsy and I'm sorry for that. 2, which should negate 1, if you honestly thought I would just let you hit me, you're even more of a fool than your father, and I must say, that's saying quite a lot. 3…that was your free hit."

Frieza sent Gohan flying after dozen more physical hits and attacked him at such a velocity, you would think that 3 other Friezas had come out of nowhere to attack Gohan from all angles. Frieza utilized his feet and tail in his assault as Gohan couldn't even breathe during Frieza's onslaught. The tyrant sent a strong kiai at Gohan and the demi-saiyan flew into several different mountains before Frieza launched him into the air and sledgehammered him back into the earth, creating another crater in the unforgiving rock. Frieza landed seamlessly, while staring at the fissure of the fallen Saiyan.

"Well, there you have it. This is how strong I've become. Not even a strapping young Super Saiyan can compete with the force of nature I've become! LOOK MY SOLDIERS, LOOK AT THE FALLEN SUPER SAIYAN BEFORE YOU! DO NOT EVER DOUBT THE GREATNESS THAT IS FRIEZA AGAIN, OR DIE!"

The soldiers cheered their praise for their emperor and mocked Gohan as he lay in the dirt, helpless and broken, with no one to save him.

" _It's no use. He's way too strong. I was in over my head, challenging someone like Frieza, who's been training vigorously for months, while I've been at home, living my dreams."_

His fingers twitched.

" _If only I stayed training like Dad asked me to. If only I hadn't let my pride get the better of me. Maybe Dad wouldn't have died way back then, and I wouldn't have needed to grow up so quickly."_

"Wait a minute, what's he doing?"

" _I'm a disgrace to my Saiyan blood. So much potential inside of me, and I waste it all away. What the hell did Dad ever see in me when he asked me to defend Earth?!"_

"Why is he getting up?"

" _Vegeta had every right to be disappointed when I saw him that day, and even more of a right to be angry that I let Krillin and Piccolo get turned to stone. Even Videl…I should've stopped that fight when I had the chance!"_

"Oh…? So, you want to keep going, I see."

" _Why did I let myself grow so weak?! Why does someone else have to die, just so I can live?!"_

"Gohan's taking this way too far! We've got to do something!" Krillin yelled.

"Yeah, like what?! Bulma said it herself, compared to Gohan, we'll only get ourselves killed, or in his way!" Tien shouted, frustrated at his helplessness. It all looked like a repeat of the Cell Games.

" _Videl…Pan…I swear it…even if it means the death of me…even if what I have doesn't amount to much…"_

"Gohan's taking this way too far; he's gonna get killed!"

"Big brother…!"

" _For Goten and Trunks…For Bulma…For Tien and Krillin…For Master Roshi…For all the people of this world…I won't let anyone else die for me ever again."_

Gohan channeled as much Ki into his body as he could. The self-loathing, the self-hatred Gohan felt for himself at that point in time far exceeded every emotion he'd ever felt in his life till then. His father died once to save him, then Yamcha, then Chiaotzu, then Tien, then Piccolo, then Vegeta, then Krillin, then 16, then his father again, then Trunks, then Vegeta 7 years later, and in return for their sacrifices, he grew soft.

"I TOLD YOU I'D STOP YOU, FRIEZA, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'LL DO!" Gohan yelled as he pushed out as much Ki as he could, pushing the Super Saiyan 2 to its boundaries.

"Gohan, stop! You don't have to do this, we'll figure something else out!" Krillin yelled desperately.

Gohan didn't listen. He continued to roar as he dug deeper, the images, the memories, the death, the loss, the suffering, Gohan let them all attack him and his Ki continued to rise further.

"Careful, Careful. Your body will self-destruct at this rate." Frieza mockingly warned, but Gohan refused to listen to anyone. He continued to reach for it as he called all the major points of his life.

His uncle kidnapping him, Piccolo dying for the first time, Great Ape Vegeta torturing Goku, the Ginyu Force, Frieza torturing Krillin, Piccolo, Vegeta, and himself, Frieza killing Krillin, his father's fight with 19, Piccolo's energy vanishing after Cell, 16's death, Videl at Spopovich's mercy, or lack thereof.

"Gohan's pushing himself too far, Goten!"

"I know that, Trunks!"

"Gohan, please! Stop doing this to yourself!"

A new vision appeared in his head.

His father and his little brother sat in the field, enjoying lunchtime until Goku's body began to glow and, after a while, turned into some being with green skin who looked eerily similar to the Supreme Kai. Goten flew back and brought Chi-Chi, his mother and Goku's wife, to see this for himself. All three babbled in confusion until he saw his father's body in clothes of a Supreme Kai with a malicious smirk on his face, not unlike one of Vegeta's earlier expressions. He created a blade of ki and pierced Goku's new form in the heart. Goku's new form slumped forward to the earth, dead. Chi-Chi grabbed Goten and ran as far as she could, until-

The dam broke.

With a roar, louder than that of a lion, Gohan reached deep down inside and pulled as hard as he could until the latent ki that had since laid dormant reemerged.

Gohan had re-acquired his mystic ki. Even Frieza seemed surprised. Gohan's mystic ki, until recently, came the closest to having Divine Ki until Goku and Vegeta accessed Divine Ki. Gohan's ki rose further and further, even parting the skies themselves. His hair grew slightly more defined with the tips of the hair shining with white and his bang reappeared, going from left to right. He opened his eyes and the intensity in his eyes easily surpassed those of a Super Saiyan's.

Then, just after a few moments, the ki left Gohan's body and the demisaiyan fell to his hands and knees. His hair returned to normal, as well. He coughed up blood and gasped for air as if he had just emerged from the deepest floor of the ocean.

"Well now, it seemed that you wasted the last of power to intimidate me. Do not fear, I'll atomize you so that the worms won't get to feast on your corpse."

Frieza then fired an energy beam towards Gohan's location, and an explosion emerged.

Silence stretched across the land as eyes went wide in sorrowful disbelief. No sound came but the howling of the wind as dust clouded the crater Gohan lay in.

Suddenly, an armed swiped the dust cloud away. That arm belonged to a man in an orange gi that lacked a blue undershirt and featured blue wristbands, a blue obi tied in a knot at his side, and blue boots. The man had spiky hair like a palm tree and a face contorted in both concern and anger.

Another man stood next him, this one wore a dark grey long-sleeved jumpsuit and altered chest piece. This man had spiky hair that stood upwards with prominent widow's peak. The man also wore a concerned scowl on his face.

An insignia of sorts lay etched on the left half of both upper body wear. These men, Son Goku and Vegeta, the last pure-blooded Saiyans of Universe 7.

Frieza, scowling in poorly controlled rage, sent a volley of death beams at Goku and Vegeta, but the former blocked them all with a kiai.

"Well, well, well. I've finished with the opening act, and now it's time for the main event. How _**nice**_ to see you both once again…Vegeta and Son Goku."

Gohan looked up at the backs of the two Saiyans. He struggled to get to his feet, but couldn't stay up much longer before falling back down.

"Dad…Vegeta…you're here." Gohan smiled, tears of joy coming to his eyes.

Goku and Vegeta turned at once to the half-saiyan. Goku knelt down to his son.

"You've made me so proud, son. We all saw your fight. Even Lord Beerus and Whis were impressed at how hard and how long you fought for. Then at the end, when you raised your power to the point where we could feel it from Lord Beerus' planet, I think even Vegeta cracked a smile."

Vegeta scoffed and turned.

"Thanks to you, we made it here…I'm sorry we couldn't make it in time."

"I kept thinking that I could do it…if I gave it everything I got, I would win…I should've known better than to think I could've taken on someone like Frieza, who had trained for months on end. Piccolo…He died to protect me. I can't stand this, Dad. I can't believe I let myself grow so weak."

"Gohan, listen to me and listen good."

Gohan gave Vegeta his attention.

"You've grown weak, that's true. In fact, even with the help of that perverted Elder Kai, you've let yourself become even weaker than you were when you were 11. Back then, you were the strongest being in the universe, surpassing both me and your father. Now, at this rate, both Goten and Trunks will end up surpassing you."

"Vegeta, don't you think you're being a bit hard on him?"

"He needs to hear this, Kakarot, especially considering the look in his eyes. He's realized his limit. He's reached his peak, and it nearly devoured him from the inside. The fact that he knows how far he's fallen is a good indicator that's he ready to play catch-up, no matter how long it takes."

Goku looked in Gohan's eyes and got the message loud and clear.

"All right, son. I promise you, we'll get you back in our league starting tomorrow."

"No, Dad."

"Huh?"

"I don't want to be in your league, or Vegeta's league…I want to be in my own league. I don't ever want to have depend on either of you to save me. I never wanted to know what it would be like when you weren't here when we needed you…now I know. I'll grow stronger than both you and Vegeta combined!"

Goku, realizing the goal his son set for himself, smiled wide. Vegeta even smirked proudly.

"Got it, son. But don't think I'm gonna let you stay ahead of me when you reach past that wall."

Gohan chuckled, well, as much as he could despite his injuries.

Krillin rushed over as quickly as he could amidst the commotion. He turned at once to Gohan.

"A senzu bean, buddy. Eat up."

Gohan chewed the bean, swallowed it, and leapt to his feet, feeling much stronger due to the Saiyan cells in his body.

"Thanks, Krillin."

"I want to see how strong Frieza is for myself, Gohan. Your work here is done. Head back and take care of Goten." Goku advised. Gohan nodded and turned to fly back.

"Gohan!"

"Yeah, Dad?"

Goku turned around with a determined smile.

"There isn't a father in this entire universe, let alone this world, who's more proud of his son than I am of you. Never forget that."

The fact that his Dad looked him dead in the eye, plus the fact that Goku couldn't lie to save his life, it brought tears to Gohan's eyes. He wiped them clean and nodded determinedly.

"Right!"

"Take good care of Bulma and Trunks as well, Gohan." Vegeta ordered. "Protect them with your life, am I understood?!"

"Yes sir!"

With that, Gohan flew back over to the others. When he got back, a relieved Goten and Trunks barreled into his chest, sobbing about how much Gohan had scared them by getting hurt (Trunks denied every bit of it, but his tears spoke differently). Bulma even gave him a knot on the head for acting so reckless, but kissed his forehead in relief. Tien, Krillin, and Master Roshi all gave him varying degrees of praise and criticism.

Gohan, personally, felt lighter than air and not just because he had downed a Senzu, but also because he made both his father and Vegeta, to a lesser degree, proud of him.

He made not have been able to defeat the tyrant, Frieza, but he damn well held the line until the cavalry arrived.

* * *

 **Well, that's that.**

 **I watched a Pivot Animation of Gohan fighting Frieza after Piccolo went down, and unrealistic as it may seem, Gohan had Frieza dead to rights at one point before reality ensued and Gohan found himself at death's door.**

 **For those of you following me for HNL, the next chapter is in the works. If it's not done by the end of this month, or earlier, I want you Capital Punks to send every ounce of hate you have for my laziness my way.**

 **Until then, later.**


End file.
